Spring motor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. A. WOOD.

SPRING MOTOR.

No. 428,326. PatentedMay 20, 1890.

9 J e .7 FIE l qwrwmm a MELEL- (No'MddeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. A. WOOD.

SPRING MOTOR. No. 428,326. Patented May 20, 1890.

rW/T/VESSES: l/VVE/VTUR mil M L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. WOOD, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROSIUS MOTORSEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING- SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,326, datedMay 20, 1890.

Application filed August 31, 1889. Serial No. 322,598. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. WVOOD, a citizen of the United States, andaresident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Motors; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to the kind of motors usually used for drivingsewingmachines, the object being to improve the construction, especiallyof the mechanism for winding-the springs, so as to prevent any lostmotion, as in ratchets, and to prevent any disagreeable noise.

The invention consists of a lever having a frictional connection with aflanged disk and means for preventing the recoil of the springs andother details, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectionthrough a lever that is adapted to wind two arbors, showing itsattachment to the disk of one arbor, and showing most of the mechanismby which the arbors may be wound alternately or together. The lever bywhich the recoil is prevented is also shown. Fig. 2 is an outside viewof part of the winding-lever, this lever being of bifurcated form, andthe view in this figure being from the same direction as in Fig. 1. Thepart is shown that is omitted in that figurethat is to say, the partthat works on the disk not shown in that figure. Fig. 3 is an end viewof the lever. Fig. 4 is a plan of the inner or bifurcated ends of thelever, and showing in horizontal section the flanged disks and leversthat prevent the recoil of the arbors. Fig. 5 shows the outside of oneof the inner ends of the lever, the View being the same as that shown inFig. 2, except that the outer side of the flanged disk is shown, as arealso the two ends of the lever that prevents the recoil, and means bywhich one end is attached to a fixed part of the device. Fig. 6

is a view of the lever that prevents the recoil.

Fig. 7 is a vertical central section through the arbors, springs, andcasing of a springmotor, showing also some of the gearing and a part ofthe winding mechanism. Fig. 8 is a side view of one of thespring-barrels, a portion being broken away to show the spring. Fig. 9is a view of the outer end of the lever G. Fig. 10 is a perspective ofthe catch that engages with the lever in the ratchets shown in Fig. 9.Fig. 11 is a view of the cup-shaped inner end of the handle of thelever.

In these several figures the arm of the bifurcated lever shown in Fig. 1is the righthand arm in Fig. 3 and the top one in Fig. 4, and the oneshown in Fig. 5 is the left-hand arm in Fig. 3. The lever to prevent therecoil shown in Fig. 1 is the reverse of that shown in Figs. 5 and 6,there being two of these levers, as shown in section in Fig. 4.

Like reference-marks indicating like parts in all the views, A is thecasing, journaled in which are the arbors B. These arbors are hollow andform the journal-bearings for the shaftc of the gear 0, as shown in Fig.7. On each side of the gearv O is one of the springbarrels D, to each ofwhich the outer end of one of the springs E is attached, the inner endsbeing attached to the arbors B. As these arbors are entirely separate,it is obvious that these springs may be wound separately or together bythe mechanism that I will now describe. The disks F, having flanges f,are attached to the arbors, as shown in Fig. 1. The bifurcated lever Grevolves around from side to side of the casing A and grasps the flangesf. This lever is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and its engagementwith the flanges is frictional and by means of the hardened steel piecesII. (Best shown in Fig. 2.) These steel pieces are of cylindrical formand inserted loosely as pins, recesses g being cut in the lever, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4. The pins are also cut away to the same depth andabout to their axial centers and made to conform on the faces thus formed to the form of the flange surfaces against which they work. As theengagement of the lever with the flanges f is by the hardened pieces II,it is obviously necessary that the lever should not otherwise come incontact with the working-surfaces of the flanges.

Therefore the recesses g are somewhat wider than the flanges f to allowthe pieces H to project and insure contact with the flanges. Thedownward pressure of the lever G will insure a sufficient pressure ofthe pieces H with the flanges f to prevent slipping. Consequently thedownward movement of said lever will cause the disk to revolve to thesame extent. The rollers J, journaled on thelever j and pressed againstthe inner side of the flange f by the spring J, lift thelever so thatthe pieces H press against the flange and are always ready to grip theflange on the downward pressure of the lever. The recoil of the disk isprevented by the lever T having the same kind of frictional contact asthe lever G by pieces t, the opposite end of the lever being fixed, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the pressure necessary to preserve the contact being supplied by the spring 20.

To wind the springs separately, the action of the lever on one cam maybe neutralized by depressing the spring-pressed end of the lever j,which will allow the lever G to drop on that side sufficiently toprevent its engagement with the flange. This depression is accomplishedby means of the semicircular piece L, the crank m on the shaft M, andthe handle N. The ends of the semicircular piece L are reduced invertical width, forming on' each a sloping or wedge-shaped lower edge Z,as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the turning of the semicircularpiece in either direction will depress the end of the lever with whichit comes in contact and raise the roller J as regards the lever, andthereby allow that side of the lever to drop sufficiently to prevent thefrictional contact that would be necessary to cause the pieces H toengage with the flange f.

Projecting beyond the wedge-shaped part Z are tongues Z, that carry thetwo ends of the semicircular piece, the central part being carried onthe crank m on the shaft M. The revolving of this shaft by the handle N,to which it is attached, turns the semicircular piece L,

as above described, in either direction, or brings it back to itsoriginal positionthat is to say, the central position or the position inwhich it will not raise either of the rollers J. The catch 0 (shown inperspective in Fig. 10 and in position in Fig. 1) fits loosely on theshaft M and in a cup-shaped part it of the handle, the part 19 passingthrough a slot n. A spring S presses it against the end of the lever G,and as the handle is turned will cause the part P to enter either of thenotches 19, Fig. 9, in the end of the lever G, which will hold theshaft, crank, and semicircular piece in any one of thethree positionsthat are required. A pressure on the part p will release the catch andpermit the handle and connecting parts to be turned. The recoil of theflanged disks F is prevented by the levers T, one end being providedwith semicircular pieces t, similar to the pieces H in the lever G, andthe other end being held betweenlugs t on the casing of the springs, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6. The constant engagement of the lever with theflange is insured by the spring w, Fig. 1.

It is obvious that it would not be a deviation from the invention toomit the pieces H in the lever G or the pieces t in the lever T, as thesolid parts of those levers might be made to perform the same functions;but the form shown is preferred, as it insures parallel bearing-surfacesbetween those pieces and the flanges.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a spring-motor, winding mechanism consisting of the disks F,having flanges f and attached to the spring-arbors B, the lever G, thespring-actuated levers 7', and the rollers J, arranged substantially asshown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a spring-motor, winding mechanism consisting of the flanged disksF, attached to the arbors B, the levers G, spring-actuated levers j,rollers J, semicircular piece L, crank M, and shaft on, substantially asshown and described.

3. In a spring-motor, winding mechanism consisting of the flanged disksF, the lever G, the spring-actuated levers j, the rollers J, thesemicircular piece L, the crank m, and shaft M, the cup-shaped extensionat of the handle N, the springs S, and the catch 0, the lever G beingrecessed to receive the projection P on the catch 0, substantially asshown and described, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a spring-motor, the spring-arbors B, disks F, having flanges f,the levers T, and lugs t, substantially as shown and described, and forthe purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALBERT A. WOOD.

WVitnesses:

A. P. VVOOD, WILLIE KEITH.

